Chapter 109: The Gem Hidden Within the Beast's Bone

The gnomes appeared squat and stunted, but they were far from foolish. Although they had been shot down by Chen Cao, they maintained their combat formation, preventing Chen Cao from firing in rapid succession. As the distance closed inch by inch, Jared’s movement toward them was nothing short of walking into the lion’s den. There was no way they would let such an opportunity slip by.

With eyes gleaming with a dull, grey light, they dragged their long blades, emitting low, guttural sounds. A squad quickly peeled off to pounce on Jared, while another continued their swift advance toward Chen Cao.

Chen Cao’s heart turned cold. Clutching his rifle, he faced a harrowing dilemma: if he fired at the gnomes closing in on him, Jared would inevitably be surrounded and hacked to pieces; if he focused on covering Jared, the gnomes would reach him, forcing him into a desperate melee. Worse yet, he saw more gnomes emerging from the woods to join the fray, a seemingly endless tide of them.

"Ha! I got it!" Jared scrambled forward, greedily tearing a bone necklace from the corpse of a gnome, his face bright with irrepressible excitement.

"Jared, you idiot!" Chen Cao roared. He switched his submachine gun to full-auto and unleashed a hail of bullets at the gnomes near Jared. A row of them collapsed under the intense fire, but Chen Cao’s magazine ran dry. There was no time to reload; the gnomes near him had sensed his firepower flagging. Their previously cautious demeanor vanished, replaced by a frenzied aggression as they broke into a run, dragging their long blades behind them.

Startled by Chen Cao’s shout, Jared snapped back to reality. Taking advantage of the momentary lull in the gnomes' assault, he drew his pistol, picked off the wounded gnomes that were still capable of fighting, and scrambled to retreat.

But it was too late.

He found himself encircled. These creatures—gnomes who looked like children, the same ones he had been gunning down with ease just moments ago—now bared their fangs. They raised their long blades with muscular arms, moving with terrifying ease.

Though he felt like a giant in the land of Lilliput, Jared was seized by a sudden, chilling fear.

The flight of arrows had ceased, but from the jungle emerged lean, bark-clad aborigines. They held staves made of tree trunks, the sharpened ends gleaming with a polished, oily sheen. Their slender arms and well-defined pectorals made it clear they possessed the skill to drive a spear through a man at close range with lethal precision.

"To perish before achieving success!" Chen Cao looked at the frenzied gnomes and the tribal spearmen aiming their weapons at them, feeling a wave of despair. He felt as though all his military training had become utterly useless.

They were now nothing more than prey waiting for the slaughter.

With a sudden surge, the gnomes lunged at Jared, their blades whistling through the air. Jared felt his pupils contract; the flash of steel blinded him. He forgot to even fire his weapon. Surrounded by slashing blades, resistance seemed futile. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. Perhaps it was luck—he fell directly onto a gnome who had been preparing to strike him, pinning the creature underneath. In doing so, he narrowly avoided the blades of the others.

*Crunch.* A sickening spray of blood erupted from the heads of two gnomes. As they had swung their blades with full force, Jared’s sudden fall caused them to lose their momentum, and they accidentally decapitated each other.

Jared escaped a fatal blow, but the blade of the gnome in front of him still slashed at his tactical boot. Fortunately, the thick sole saved him, and the blade only sliced through the outer layer. Instinctively, Jared fired a shot, felling the gnome before him.

Seeing the desperation of the situation, Chen Cao discarded his submachine gun. He drew his combat knife in one hand and a machete he had looted from the police in the other. He began to hack away, abandoning all technique for pure, relentless slaughter.

However, they had overlooked one thing: the spearmen. The tall, lean tribesmen remained cool-headed. Seeing the gnomes and their enemies locked in a chaotic melee, they retreated two steps, raised their spears, and hurled them into the fray.

*Ah!* Chen Cao’s ears twitched. He reacted instantly, dodging a gnome’s blade, grabbing the creature, and hoisting it into the air. *Crunch.* The flying spear pierced the gnome in mid-air, and it fell to the ground in a spray of blood.

Jared rolled to dodge a spear and continued to crawl frantically toward Chen Cao. The speed at which he moved could have broken a world record, a testament to the sheer power of human survival instinct. Even then, he did not let go of the bone necklace he had snatched from the gnome.

After the first volley, the tribe of lean warriors could not easily launch a second attack in the short term, as they had to retrieve their staves and reset their formation.

Seizing this gap, Chen Cao kicked away a gnome attacking him, reached his comrade, and hauled him to his feet. But as he turned, he realized their path was blocked.

"Run!" Chen Cao pulled Jared along, machete in hand, and bolted deep into the jungle.

Although the gnomes possessed immense strength in their bodies and arms, their legs were not built for speed. Burdened by their heavy, long blades, they struggled to maintain the pursuit. Chen Cao and Jared soon escaped, leaving a trail of twitching, squealing gnomes behind them.

They ran until they could run no more. Chen Cao gasped for air, while Jared, pushed to his physical limit, slumped against a massive tree. His dark skin had paled, and his lips were drained of color.

Chen Cao scanned the sky and looked back at their pursuers. Thankfully, these primitive tribesmen did not seem particularly bright. He looked around at the dense, suffocating jungle foliage and realized with a sinking heart that they were in trouble.

"Damn it! We’re lost!"

Their firearms were gone, leaving them with only a pistol and a machete. Their map had been left behind with Stanny and Karisa during the chase. They were effectively empty-handed and directionless.

In the jungle, a compass was not always enough, and one could not rely on the sun, as the dense canopy and giant leaves blocked out almost all light. Even if they found a patch of sunlight, maintaining a true course over a long distance was impossible. The realization hit Chen Cao with such suddenness that his mind struggled to process it. Frustration welled up, and he grabbed Jared by the collar.

"You idiot, do you have any idea how much trouble we’re in?"

Jared was well aware of the mess his recklessness had caused. The brief rest had restored a bit of his color. As Chen Cao hauled him up, he held out the bone necklace he had seized from the gnome.

Chen Cao’s eyes flickered to the necklace, then down to Jared’s feet. Having been saved by his boot and then dragged through a frantic run, Jared’s feet were bleeding and torn. Chen Cao paused, snatched the necklace, and set Jared down. Ignoring the jewelry for a moment, he searched the area, quickly pulling up a handful of yellowish grass. He shook off the dirt and tossed it to Jared.

Raised in the jungle, Jared knew it was both a treasure trove and a death trap; everything had two sides. He recognized the medicinal herb, chewed it into a paste, tore a strip of cloth from his clothes, and bandaged his feet.

Chen Cao ignored him, focusing on the necklace. It was a simple string of animal teeth, likely worn by the gnome since birth, leaving the teeth yellowed with age. However, as Chen Cao turned it over, he noticed one tooth looked newer. He examined it closely and saw a tiny fissure. With a gentle twist...

*Click.* In the dim light, something crystal clear fell into the grass like a falling star. Chen Cao’s reflexes were lightning fast; he snatched it between two fingers.

Jared, having finished bandaging his feet, stared at the sparkling object, his eyes wide with greed. "A diamond!"

Chen Cao said nothing, holding the object up to catch the faint, filtered light. As he peered at it, a beam of light refracted across his face.

"It really is a diamond!" Chen Cao felt a surge of excitement. Perhaps he had discovered the secret of the gems.

"Let me see, let me see!" Jared scooted over, ignoring the pain in his feet.

Chen Cao handed it over without hesitation; he knew Jared, born in a land of diamond production, would know more than he did.

Jared held the diamond up to the dim light. "It’s a natural, uncut pure diamond with six facets. We’re going to be rich!" he exclaimed, clutching the diamond tightly in his excitement.